This was a long and full day. Woke up TOOO early at the hostel in Plitzvicka … Mostly because of the LOUD rain and wind. Absolutely howling wind and downpour all night … yet I just kept having this vibe … it’s doing its thing tonight and it’s going to clear up.
Basically, the forecast for my WHOLE trip was rain, so I accepted that and prepared, and y’all know i’m all about the universe providing — and it has. It sprinkled now and then throughout the day, but we also got sun.
Plitvička jezera National Park was pretty spectacular.The lack of handrails and safety flags that permeate the US continue to be lacking here – which is fun. I was pretty tired after 8 miles of sorta butt-puckery terrain at the park, so was glad to get in the car.
The drive was probably one of my best ever. I love to drive, I love off-the-beaten-path, and Google maps did NOT disappoint. Apparently there was road closure along the more traveled route, so I spent about 50 kilometers on a VERY narrow road out in the boonies. With Formaggio signs and cows and the greatest scenery. A lot of my pics are blurry because I was just grabbing my phone and snapping but not focusing.
The highways are the coolest too … SOOO MANY tunnels! It went that way for a bit and then when I finally emerged on the Istria Peninsula it was pretty breathtaking. Definitely back to the Mediterranean climate … very mild.
The hostel check-in was fine and friendly, and the gals showed me where to park for free. Of course I left my hostel key fob in the car and had to walk a few blocks back … and got lost. In Zagreb I dropped a Google map pin to get back to my car, so you’d think I’d learned … but apparently not yet.
I’ve had success at 1 for 3 toll stops so far … it is a little intimidating, but I obviously survived. I’m here on the Peninsula for another day, and then heading back to Zagreb to return the car … then it’s bus and train mode!
So glad for the driving adventure so far though.
